The Salmon Ladder
by nessawrites
Summary: When Felicity comes to the realisation of what's right in front of her in front of the Salmon Ladder.


The Salmon Ladder

The lair was cold. Too cold for Felicity's liking as she slowly walked down the stairs. She could hear the rough sounds of the Salmon ladder clanging as Oliver worked hard on it. Normally, she was able to appreciate his body as it moved on that glorious ladder but she couldn't bring herself to feel that way right now, not after learning the truth. The truth she so desperately needed and wanted to hear so long ago.

She was still reeling from what had happened just a few hours ago. An hour ago, she was still with Ray, still in a safe relationship with Ray.

That was the story until she heard the conversation Oliver had with Diggle. With Oliver obviously wanting to shut himself off and just go back to the lair, Diggle of course, being the voice of reason told him to stop running away from his problems and starting running to his solution.

 _What was the solution?_ She thought.

When she thought that, she felt a small tug at her heart, a tug she couldn't identify. _Me._ She so desperately wanted to yell at him. _I'm your solution._

That conversation ended with Oliver whispering so quiet, Felicity wasn't sure if he even spoke.

"She's happy with Ray, there's nothing I can do about it."

Confusion took over her body, dulling her senses. _What? Ray?_

 _What does he have to do with this?_

Oliver walked away from the entrance to Verdant and came out 5 minutes later in his Arrow gear. It must be time for night patrol.

That conversation left her speechless. Oliver. Oliver Queen, millionaire playboy, the media's favourite golden boy. Oliver. The man who left her completely speechless and sobbing in the hospital after their first and last kiss. A searing kiss, full of promise, love and hope. Promise and hope that would disappear when he put being the Arrow before being himself.

Those scenes, that kiss, flashed in her head. Leaving her feeling numb. _He_ left _me_. Yet, he wants me? She thought.

Felicity went home. It was quite late and she had work the next day.

She tossed and turned all night. Wondering what she was going to do. She had Ray on one end of the ruler, sweet, caring and compassionate Ray who she enjoyed being in the company of. On the other end, she had passionate, heroic and Oliver. She had Oliver.

She came to the blunt realisation that Ray was certainly not Oliver. No one would ever be close to what he meant to her. She has tried running away from the problem into another man's arms. Into the arms of the man that was completely the opposite of Oliver. She only just realised how much that must have hurt Oliver. _Her_ Oliver.

She abruptly stood up and went to her closet. The very back of her closet and pulling out that certain jacket. The scent enveloped her, filling her with comfort and love. The same jacket he accidently left when he was there for her with the fiasco with Cooper happened.

She wore the jacket as an act of impulse and took her keys, looking in the mirror for one second to fix her ponytail.

She didn't know how fast she was driving but she found herself at Ray's complex building. She ran up the stairs and knocked on his door, hoping she didn't scare him too much.

He opened the door looking rugged and still half asleep. She felt nothing when he smiled at her, only dread as what she was going to do dawned on her. She simply grimaced in his direction.

She asked if she could come in and he joked saying it was too late for business talk. He let her come in and he asked her if she wanted to drink anything.

She politely interrupted him and told him this wasn't going to be a fun visit.

She sat him down. Held both of his hands and told him the truth. The truth that she had known but hidden from herself for a long time now. The truth that she was in love with Oliver Queen. She was in love with the Arrow.

He grimaced every time she said his name in a way that showed how much she truly was in love and in awe of him. He told her that it was obvious from the very beginning and he only hopes that when she realises he will do nothing but hurt her, she can come back to him. His arms were open for her.

She told him, with determination and hope in her voice that _her_ Oliver was never going to hurt her.

She left the building leaving Ray feel nothing but anger and sadness that she had made him fall in love with her for her to leave him for Oliver.

That's where she found herself now. At the bottom of the stairs of the lair. Gazing up at Oliver. Gazing at him with love.

When Oliver finally realised her presence. He simply jumped down and asked her what she was doing here so late. Felicity told him what she heard during Oliver and Diggle's conversation. He tried to protest when she held up her hand. She told him what she did. What she did for him. She told him that the solution to fill the hole in her heart was him. Just as she was for him.

She proved her words through her actions; she placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

It took him a second to register what she had done right before a ear splitting smile made it on his face. He grabbed her by the waist and she put her hands around his neck, holding tight.

He placed a searing kiss on her lips. A kiss full of love and compassion for each other as well as acceptance that yes, this was going to be hard, they were going to fight and he was going to be in danger every night he put that suit on but, they knew, with each other, they could make it.

'I love you.' He whispered in her ear, his lips barely brushing the top of it yet, it still managed to give her goose bumps. His voice, rough and coarse as he hadn't used it in a few hours besides with the screaming match he had with the inanimate objects that were strewn in the room because of his anger earlier.

'I love you too.' She whispered in his ear. She could feel the tips of his smile pulled upwards in a smile.

Felicity was always going to be the person she was before she met him. The shy woman who was always a computer geek since her days at M.I.T and who loved good red wine with some mint chocolate ice cream. Except, she got what she wanted, the true love of her life. She was brought out of that shy shell by Oliver, just like she's managed to bring him out of his shell and break down the tight walls around his heart due to his years on the island and to years of loss. She's the light to his never-ending darkness and he's the darkness that she truly needs, to her never ending light.

And of course, they had to have had their proclamations of love right in front of that dumb Salmon Ladder.


End file.
